


Renewed Resolve

by Ethereal_Blade



Series: FFVII Remake: Moments of Respite [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 06:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23846680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethereal_Blade/pseuds/Ethereal_Blade
Summary: An extension of Cloud and Tifa's resolution scene, told from both perspectives.Warning: Contains Spoilers for Chapter 14 of FFVII: Remake.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Series: FFVII Remake: Moments of Respite [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1896022
Comments: 32
Kudos: 243





	1. Tifa

**Author's Note:**

> Before we begin, I'd like to thank artist uwelables, as it was their short comic that helped provide some inspiration for this work. Their fan-art is beyond adorable, and if you're a Cloti fan like myself, I highly recommend them.  
> Cloud and Tifa are my favorite video game pairing of all time, so I hope I did them justice here. The remake (and all the additional Cloti scenes that came with it) really rekindled my love for them. It also gave me the perfect excuse to write something up. :P  
> Hope you enjoy!

Sleep was unsurprisingly evasive that night, but she didn’t mind. In fact, she almost preferred it. After all, it was much better to lie awake in the stillness of the night than to relive the horrific scenes she knew she would see in her dreams. _The fruits of your labor_ , a voice inside her said. Tifa shook her head vehemently. No. You can’t think like that. Whatever came before, it was Shinra that pulled the trigger today.

Barret’s words echoed in her mind, fighting back against her invisible tormentor. It _was_ Shinra. They could have easily located and then (probably) publicly executed them and _only_ them. But they didn’t. It was _their_ choice to drop the plate. It was Shinra. _Shinra_ did this!

But it was in response to _their_ actions.

_The sickening sound of metal grating against metal rang clearly in her ears. Screams came soon after, but they were abruptly silenced when the sky above them came crashing down. As they swung through the consequences of their actions, she dared to look. Flames erupting from all directions. Buildings reduced to rubble in seconds. Bodies whose faces she recognized lay crushed beneath the debris. It was too real. Unable to look any longer, Tifa shut her eyes._

You caused this.

You caused this.

 _You_ caused this.

Tifa shot up from the bed, quickly wiping the blurriness from her vision. She needed fresh air; her thoughts wouldn’t feel as stifling outside. That was what mama had once told her. Mama always knew what was best for her...even if she was no longer around. Quietly, she cracked open the door to her room and stepped outside.

For a brief moment, she contemplated peeking into Cloud and Barret’s room. She wondered how they were taking it. The latter seemed to have calmed down somewhat once he had found Marlene safe and sound, but she knew that deep down he must have felt the same as her, if not worse. Leaders always bore the brunt of the burden. The man had gotten used to that weight for some time now. Either that or he was good at hiding it. As for Cloud…

She was sure he was fine. Her childhood friend had probably seen his fair share of atrocities during his time in SOLDIER. Maybe even carried some out. It was honestly hard to tell, considering how much he had changed since she last saw him. _They took him from me too._

Tifa shook her head as more tears threatened to fall. She descended the staircase as quietly as she could.

* * *

Aerith’s garden was beautiful. It was vibrant and full of life, unlike the rest of Midgar. It reminded her of Aerith herself: a light in the darkness, untouched by the filth and grime of the slums. _Was it right for people like herself to find solace in such an unadulterated place?_ Tifa silently made her way to the highest vantage point, taking care not to step on the fruits of her friend’s labor.

The flowers, as well as the continuous gurgle of the river below, provided her with the calming atmosphere her mind needed. Hesitantly, she closed her eyes. Nothing met her on the other side this time. This time, it was something outside the world of her dreams that woke her.

Footsteps. Judging by the sounds, they were much too quiet to be Barret’s. That could only mean…

"Can't sleep?" 

"No. You too?"

"...I heard footsteps."

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you,” Tifa said, her back still turned. From what she had read in the newspapers all those years ago, SOLDIERs had enhanced vision; she wasn’t sure she wanted him to see that she had been crying yet.

She felt his gaze shift from her figure. “I’m a light sleeper. It’s a SOLDIER thing.”

Tifa gave him a faint smile. “That flower you gave me the other night. That was from Aerith, wasn’t it?” she said, turning slightly to gauge his reaction. Cloud gave her a guilty look. He didn't answer. 

“I knew there was something weird going on,” she chuckled, “You, buying flowers?”

He remained silent, instead choosing to follow her gaze to the yellow flowers at their feet. “They symbolize reunion, believe it or not. I…I tried to keep it alive as long as I could.” _…because it was from you_ , she wanted to add. “I got curious...so I looked it up. But now…it’s…dead and buried.”

Tifa looked up at Cloud and managed her best smile, hoping that it was enough to quell the obvious concern in his eyes. If she were thinking straight, she would have known it would never have worked for anyone, even if that someone was Cloud. She tried again, holding his gaze this time, but her smile faltered. Cloud’s eyes had softened, no longer the cold, hard blue Tifa had grown accustomed to seeing. They reminded her of back then. Back then, when things were simpler and less fragile. His expression looked almost sympathetic, she thought, but there was something else mixed in there too.

“Like the bar…” Don’t cry.

_You had it coming the moment you joined AVALANCHE. Their blood is on your hands._

“Our home…” Her fists closed impossibly tighter.

 _Don’t cry_. “and everything else.”

_Is it right to cry for the punishment you deserve?_

Tifa took a step forward. And then another. And another. She kept going until she was right in front of him. Cloud didn’t move. Cautiously, she laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes. Images flashed through her head, denying her of any solace she hoped to receive. The bar—her home, lay in shambles amidst the rubble. It wasn’t coming back. They weren’t coming back either. When she, Cloud and Barret had scoured the area for survivors earlier that day, she saw almost all of them. Her customers, either dead or severely maimed. Her customers—innocent people that paid the price for her actions. _Why didn’t I die too?_

Her thoughts drifted back to flames of seven years past. Back to a SOLDIER with silver hair and catlike eyes. Back to the lifeless body that was her papa. _I’m sick of this!_ _I'm sick of all of this! Sephiroth…SOLDIER…Mako Reactors…Shinra…I hate them all!_ Tifa’s entire body trembled at the realization. This wasn’t the first time they had done this to her.

“They took everything from us, again!”

She felt Cloud stiffen at her words. Tifa couldn’t hear his quiet sniffling; her own sobs drowned them out.

When she felt strong arms wrap around her, something inside her broke. She could feel the faint tremble in his breath as he pulled her impossibly close, and in that moment, she couldn’t hold it back anymore. Her breathing hitched in her throat. Her tears flowed freely now, staining his shirt with their moisture. Her arms clung tightly to his shoulders as she sobbed into his chest.

Cloud’s embrace was something she didn’t know she needed. It felt entirely different from Barret’s, even if he had done the same thing earlier. In his arms, she felt…safe. Warm. At peace. Her cheeks warmed slightly. Maybe Shinra hadn’t fully taken the young boy she knew from her childhood. He continued to hold her against him, even after her breathing evened out. Tifa shyly nuzzled his chest, lulled by the sound of his heartbeat. He took it as an invitation to squeeze tighter.

“Cloud…” she hiccuped.

“Hm?”

“Cloud…you’re hurting me.”

She regretted saying it the moment the words left her mouth.

Cloud disentangled himself from her in an instant and looked away, embarrassed.

"...Sorry."

Tifa managed a weak smile and shook her head. “It’s stupid. I know that crying’s a waste of time.”

“That’s not true.”

She looked up at him in surprise. The tone in his voice spoke volumes, but it was his eyes that told the entire story. They had softened again, and even from where she was standing, Tifa could see that he had cried as well. In a way, she was thankful; it was only in moments like this that she was able to catch a glimpse of her long-lost friend from Nibelheim. The Cloud Strife she had grown to love. Tifa only wished she could see him more often.

“Thank you.” She gave him a genuine smile this time. He nodded, but he made sure to avoid her gaze. Was he…blushing?

A comfortable silence fell over them. Cloud eventually shifted so that he was standing beside her, shoulder to shoulder. Of course, he then turned his attention to his boots. Tifa didn’t mind; she knew how hard words could be for him. His presence was always welcome, even if he was being awkward about it right now. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. His unruly hair was even messier now than it normally was; she decided she found it cute. _I wonder if he gets bedhead?_ Her gaze then shifted to his face. When she noticed the dark circles under his eyes, her maternal instincts kicked in.

“Cloud? It’s late.”

“Hm.”

“You go on ahead. I’ll come in a few minutes.”

“Wait.”

Tifa paused and turned to face him fully. “Cloud?”

“Tifa.”

She watched him curiously. Cloud knelt down and plucked one of the flowers near his feet, making sure that it was the same kind as the one he had given her before. His mako eyes looked it over for any imperfections, and he hummed in approval when he found none. “Here,” he said as he held it out to her. “It doesn’t matter how much they take away from you. It’s when you give up that they’ve won."

Tifa was at a loss for words. She searched his eyes once again. They were glowing, and it wasn’t just the mako this time. He was trying to cheer her up, in his own quiet way.

She embraced him, taking care not to trap the hand holding the flower. Cloud returned her hug quickly this time, though he had to remind himself not to squeeze too tight. She felt his fingers gently comb through her hair, sweeping it aside so that he could rest the flower behind her ear. Tifa closed her eyes and leaned into his warmth. In response, he tucked her closer to himself and rested his cheek against her hair. Suddenly sleep wasn’t so hard for her to face.

She would have to thank him in the morning.


	2. Cloud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, before we begin, please keep him mind that Cloud's memories are not restored at this point, so there may be some discrepancies surrounding certain past events. I'd also like to apologize for being later than I wanted to be. Cloud can be extremely fun to write, but he can also be tricky if you want to keep his personality intact.

Tifa Lockhart was one of the strongest people Cloud knew; of that he was certain. For one, she was physically strong. There was no denying that. While he preferred to hide behind a literal sheet of metal to win his battles, she met her opponents head on, charging forward with nothing but her fists. It had surprised him initially; when they first fought together, he had called her name, telling her to get behind him. But when he saw the monster she had just defeated lying still in the dirt, he quickly shut up. “You’re good,” he had told her.

Tifa beamed at him. “Told you so,” she winked.

And yet, despite her physical strength, she was also kind and incredibly caring (almost to a fault, he thought). When they were attacked aboard a train headed for Sector 5, she had taken it upon herself to help the innocents evacuate. She had even helped Shinra employees—her enemies—to safety. Whenever they had a run-in with Public Security or some other human threat, she almost always chose to incapacitate if she was given the option. “They’re people too,” she would say. He would answer with a grunt, and for her sake, reluctantly heft his sword back onto his back. Frankly, it worried him. His time in SOLDIER had taught him that kindness in battle would, more often than not, be repaid with blood. She probably knew that, and yet she did it anyway. That took a special kind strength. A kind he would never have.

So when Cloud saw Tifa Lockhart crying atop the Sector 7 pillar moments before its collapse, something within him stirred. If only he was stronger. Then…she wouldn’t have to cry. He would have stopped it. They would have survived if he had only been stronger.

_“Our future…is in your hands.”_

**You have failed again, I see.**

_“They were my bombs. They were all…my victims. I had it…coming.”_

_Weak. You were always too weak._ **But through suffering, you will grow strong.**

**Isn’t that what you want?**

His eyes shot open. Footsteps. He waited with bated breath as he heard them stop outside his room. A pause. Then, they resumed, the sounds growing fainter with each step. Once he heard the front door close, he stood up and reached for his sword, placing it securely on his back before following suite.

* * *

He found her outside, in Aerith’s garden.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked quietly, not wanting to alarm her.

“…No. You too?”

_I was worried._

“I heard footsteps.”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you,” she said as he approached.

“I’m a light sleeper. It’s a SOLDIER thing.”

He watched as Tifa turned to face him, concern evident in his eyes. Her hair was tousled and unkempt, and her eyes were wet with tears. _Must’ve been a nightmare,_ he mused. He would know; he knew them well enough to recognize what they looked like in someone else’s eyes.

It affected him too. The collapse of the plate, the countless screams ringing in his ear, the last words uttered from his comrades’ lips, and perhaps most of all, the effect all of it had on _her_. All of it had deeply hurt him. Cloud would never let himself show it though. He couldn’t; if it hurt him this much to see her cry, how much more would it hurt her to see him do the same? She didn’t need that. He would to be strong for her, like she had been for him. He had to be.

“That flower you gave me the other night. That was from Aerith, wasn’t it?”

Cloud blinked. _Where did that come from?_

“Uh…”

Tifa smiled upon hearing his response. “I knew there was something weird going on. You, buying flowers?”

_Lovers used to give these when they were reunited…_

It wasn’t as if he had had a choice back then. Aerith could be very persistent when she wanted to be, and the only reason he had bought it (if it could even be called buying) was so that she would listen to him and move to a safer location…

_…Right? So then why did he feel…_

Cloud looked away, his cheeks warming slightly. What was he thinking? He had managed to give it to her with all the confidence and suave of a gentleman too. As if Cloud Strife _normally_ did things like this. What if she knew the implications that came with giving the flower? Would she still appreciate it if she did? But then he saw the way her eyes widened and the way her face practically lit up in delight, and all his fears were put to rest.

Her words snapped him out of his introspection. “They...symbolize reunion, believe it or not. I was curious…so I looked it up. I tried to keep it alive as long as I could.”

_…!_

“But now…it’s…dead and buried.”

His enhanced hearing caught the faint tremble in her voice. _“Tifa…?”_

She smiled weakly when their eyes met. “Like the bar…”

**You have failed again, I see.**

“…our home…and everything else.”

**You are too weak to save anyone. Not even yourself.**

_The town burned bright around him, blurring his vision. The flames licked at his face, bathing it in sweat and soot. He coughed and gasped as the smoke filled his lungs. His fingers clawed at the ground beneath him. “Mom…mom…”_

_A scream broke through the stillness of the night as a gleaming blade tore through yielding flesh._

_“Mom!”_

He was abruptly pulled back to reality by a sudden weight leaning into him. Tifa had closed the distance some time ago and had laid her head against his chest. Cloud froze.

“They took everything from us, again!” he heard her say.

_“My mom…Tifa…my home…give it back…”_

He felt her hands grip the fabric of his shirt tightly, anchoring her as her entire body shook. He remained completely still, afraid that she might shatter if he so much as laid a finger on her.

Tifa Lockhart was one of the strongest people he knew; seeing her in such a weakened emotional state caused something inside him to snap. His throat constricted, and his carefully measured breaths grew ragged and shallow. Even now, he was still too weak. He had trained and fought for years in SOLDIER, and yet it _still_ wasn’t enough. He always fell short when it truly mattered, and those closest to him would suffer for _his_ failures. If only he were strong…strong enough to keep his friends from harm…and strong enough to be the hero Tifa deserved. Cloud blinked back the tears, his gaze lowering to the woman nestled against him. A wave of protectiveness suddenly overcame him, tearing down what little hesitance remained.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She felt soft and warm, and he relished the way she fit perfectly against him. His eyes closed, reveling in the solace she unknowingly provided, and hoping that he had the same effect on her. He held her tightly, silently praying that whatever words were stuck in his throat could be conveyed through his actions.

“Cloud…”

“Mmh?”

“Cloud…you’re hurting me.”

_…!!_

He immediately released her, cursing himself silently for his carelessness. “…Sorry,” he managed to sputter out.

Tifa smiled and he looked away, hiding his reddened cheeks as best he could. “It’s stupid. I know that crying’s a waste of time,” she said after a while.

If the others were here, he would have agreed. He would have told her that she was right, and that crying could never bring back the ones they had lost. But when it was just her, he could never bring himself to pretend.

“That’s not true.” His words carried with them a tone of finality, as if it were some absolute and inerrant truth. After all, that was what mom had taught him, and if she said it was okay to cry, it was okay to cry.

“Thank you.”

Cloud nodded, looking up to meet her eyes, a shy smile adorning his face. Tifa smiled back, but he quickly noticed the way her gaze lingered on his eyes. His unnaturally bright, glowing mako eyes.

He looked away, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. He knew what she thought of SOLDIER, and to be honest, he didn’t blame her. They were exactly as Elmyra said—boys who traded a normal life for power, and from what he had witnessed in that underground facility earlier, could easily be compared to monsters. It made him wonder what Tifa thought of him now. His younger self hadn’t known any better at the time; after all, how was he supposed to know the people on the television screen were paid to lie? Shinra’s propaganda was admittedly quite effective at captivating the minds of young boys like him. But even if he knew the truth of the SOLDIER program back then, he knew that he wouldn’t have backed down.

_“When we're older, and you're a famous SOLDIER...if I'm trapped or in trouble..."_

He _had_ made it into SOLDIER, just like he promised her, and as arrogant as he knew it sounded, Tifa needed him, just as much as he needed her. Even if being one made him a monster, he would do it if it meant keeping his promise.

Because good men kept their promises—that was another thing his mother had taught him. He would be there for her regardless of the circumstances (his brief--albeit humiliating--time as ‘Miss Cloud’ was a testament to that fact), to protect and comfort her when she was in a bind. Right now was one of those times, a voice inside him said. But…how would he do that? Words were often too difficult for him; he would have to find another way.

“Cloud? It’s late.”

“Mmh.”

“You go on ahead. I’ll come in a few minutes.”

His feet remained firmly in place. _Not yet. I still haven’t…_

It was then that the yellow flowers decorating the ground caught his attention, and everything suddenly fell into place. _Weren’t those…?_

“Wait,” he said a little too aggressively. Tifa turned to face him fully, confusion written on her face.

“…Cloud?”

“Tifa.”

Cloud crouched down and carefully examined the flowers at his feet, back turned and eyes flashing with fierce determination. The flower he had given her before was crumpled and dirty—a casualty of his run-in with Public Security; he would have to make sure that this next one was perfect. Gently, he plucked one from the ground, bringing it up to his eyes for a more thorough examination. Tifa watched him curiously, her head tilting slightly to the side.

Cloud gave the little yellow flower one last look over. _First try_ , he thought to himself smugly. He then stood up and turned to face her, unable to stop the small, bashful smile from forming on his lips. “Here,” he said as he held it out to her.

“It doesn’t matter how much they take away from you. It’s when you give up that they’ve won.”

Silence.

_…?_

Cloud hesitantly looked into her eyes. Tifa’s expression was unreadable, but then again, he wasn’t exactly the sharpest when it came to these kinds of things. That was more of her specialty. Her lack of response was a bad thing, though; he knew that much. Did he…do something wrong? Overstepped, maybe? His arm fought the sudden urge to pull back as the assumptions ran wild in his mind. He quickly beat each one into submission. No. He would wait for her to act first before he jumped to conclusions.

_…!!!_

Tifa all but crashed into him, her arms winding tightly around his neck. He exhaled in relief before eagerly returning the gesture, encircling his own arms firmly around her waist. One of his hands trailed up the nape of her neck and gently combed through her soft hair, and he smiled when he felt her unconsciously lean into his touch. His grip on her waist tightened instinctively as he folded himself around her.

Cloud withdrew momentarily to carefully rest the flower behind her left ear. He watched as Tifa's eyes sparkled with a mixture of gratitude and affection; she gave him a genuine smile once he had finished before returning her head to his chest, burrowing into his warmth. He made a soft contented sound in reply and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. Maybe words weren’t the only way to tell someone how you felt.

After a while, he noticed just how heavily she was leaning on him.

“…Tifa.”

“…”

“Tifa, it’s late.”

“…”

She was already sound asleep, it seemed. Cloud quickly suppressed the urge to smile, and as quietly and carefully as he could, he disentangled himself from her embrace.

* * *

The trip back inside was, to his relief, rather uneventful. In the span of only a few minutes, Cloud had managed to maneuver a sleeping Tifa onto his back (he’d have to go back outside again if he wanted to retrieve his sword, which he had begrudgingly left propped up against the outside of the house), clumsily make his way to the front door, and then climb the entire staircase, all without waking her up. He gingerly set her down in the guest bed Elmyra had provided and silently pulled up the covers, tucking her in. Once he was satisfied, he leaned down and pressed a feather-light kiss to her forehead.

“Good night, Tifa,” he whispered as the door clicked softly behind him.

He didn’t see the way her lips curled upward in response.


End file.
